*Copies of letters with Lord Lyon are available to members in the MEMBERS ONLY Section.

In our previous communications with Lord Lyon, he had requested further research
validating Thomson families in Lothian and the Borders. I have included examples
of Thomson families being recognized by both

the English and Scottish sovereigns.

In every war-torn battlefield, the survivors are frequently faced with a conflict
of loyalties. The Thomsons of the west Marche were no different and often sided
with the likely winner or even more commonly with their own kin and neighbors. The
Eskdale families (which included Thomsons) were forced into this condition after
James V treacherously hanged the Armstrong leaders and supporters on 26 July, 1530.
With their homes and farms destroyed, the only means of livelihood was the reiving
and raiding of more prosperous communities south of the Border. The English Lord
Wharton reported, “The Batysons and Thomsons of Eskdale, have burnt a town called
Grange, with all the corn therein, and brought away nolt (cows) and other goods amounting
to eche of them in their dividing 8 shillings.” Again in the 1540s, Lord Wharton
reported, “The Batysons, Thomsons and Lytles of Esskdayle, Ewesdaill and Wacopdale
burnt a town on the Water of Dryff called Blendallbush, and brought away 16 oxen
and Keyne, some nags and with all the insight of the town.” Subsequently, in 1544,
Lord Wharton invaded Scotland and brought the Scottish families ruthlessly to heel,
even persuading some of them, under an English assurance, to restrict their raids
to their fellow Scots. In a report to the Earl of Shewsbury, Lord Wharton wrote,
“hundrethe of the Batysons of Eskdaill and the Thomsons, brent (burned) a town called
Fastheughe, taking away all the insight, certain nags, and fiftie nowte.”The same
two families attacked Branxholme and Mosshouse, “smoked very sore the towers, slew
many Scots and then wane a tower of the Captains of Edinburgh Castle, called Burdlands,
burnt all the roofs within the walls, and coming home took may oxen and shepe besiede
one Scot slayne.”

While the English army was ravaging East Lothian in 1547, Lords Lennox and Wharton
crossed the Esk to subdue the South of Annandale and Castlemilk, The country, being
stricken with fear, the Lairds and all the families(clans) came and gave an oath
of obeisance as subjects to the King of England. In Bell’s Manuscript, preserved
in the Carlisle Cathedral Library, there is a list of the chiefs and their men who
surrendered. The list contains some 304 Beatties, Littles and Thomsons ---all had
served the English - some above a year, some more than three years. The peace arranged
in 1551 provided that the West Marche “Debatable land” between the Esk and Sark would
belong to neither kingdom.

On April 6, 1569 a bond was signed at Kelso to show support for the young King during
the civil war between Queen Mary, her third husband, Bothwell, and the Protestant
party under Regent for the infant king, referencing “the barons, landit men and gentlemen,
inhabitants of Sheriffdom of Berwick Roxburgh, Selkirk, and Peebles.・The forsigned
professed themselves specially enemies to all persons named Armstrong, Elliot, Nickson,
Little, Beattie, Thomson, Irving, Bell, Johnstone, Glendinning, Routlege, Henderson
and Scott of Ewisdale ・those families who had fought on the side of the Queen at
Langholm.

The Parliamentary Register of 10 December, 1585 act in favour of John [Maxwell],
Earl of Morton, his friends, and servants (and others) gave general abolition for
“...all facts, and deeds, committed by him or any other person hereafter enumerated
in this present ordinance including slaughter, raiding, reives, plunder, depredations,
pillaging done at any time since April 1569 to the day and date of this Act shall
be abolished and extinct forever. To the effect it may be clearly understood it shall
only appertain the persons after-following: (some omitted for brevity) John Thomson
in Millhead, Thomas Thomson, his brother; John Wallace elder of Carzield, Nicol Thomson
and 20 others, John Nicolson in Corriewood, Roger Thomson, JohnThomson, Roger Thomson,
his sons, James Thomson, smith, David Thomson, his son, and 4 others, John Thomson
of Know, and 6 others, John Turner in Carse, John Thomson, and 26 others, John Callan
in Drumcrago, Thomas Thomson, and 3 others, William Thomson in Clynt, Andrew and
John Thomson, his brothers, John Beattie in Glenbervell, 28 Beatties, Ade Thomson,
Edward Thomson, John Thomson, Sim Thomson, John Thomson, alias Rowll, Dick Thomson,
Will Thomson, 8 Littles, 4 Glendinnings, and 6 others, Christie Armstrong of Barnglies,
John Murry, his man, John Thomson, Jock Bell, his servants and 6 others, Robert Graham,
dwelling on Serk Water, Martin Thomson, and 8 others, Robert MacVitie, writer to
Kinmont, Archie and Adam Thomson, Geordie Thomson in Kirgill, Jock Thomson, Adie
and Jock Thomson, his brothers, Wat in Allebasterland, John Thomson, John Thomson
in Kirkgill, Archie Thomson in Allebasterland, Nicky and Jock Thomson, John Thomson
in Pollorane, Tom Armstrong, son to the Laird’s Rowe, Geordie Thomson, Ringane, Armstrong
of Auchinbedrig, Sim Thomas, and 10 others, Captain John Maxwell of Aikenhead, Lieutenant
John Thomson, and 19 others, John Edgar of Holme, John Thomson, James Thomson, and
162 other horsemen, Captain William Maxwell, Adam Thomson, RichieThomson, and 164
other horsemen.”

In 1581, the Parliament of Scotland rendered a whole clan jointly answerable, in
the way of retaliation, for the delinquencies of each individual. In another statute
passed shortly after, the chief of each clan was made responsible of all the misdeeds
of his surname. In consequence of these acts, a roll was made of the nobles, barons,
chieftains and Clans residing on the Borders, and Highlands in 1587. In this roll
(West Marche) appear the surnames; Scotts of Ewesdale, Batesons, Littles, Thomsons,
Glendinnings, Irvings, Bells, Carruthers, Grahams, Johnstons, Jardines, Moffats,
and Latimers. In addition, Monypeny’s Chronicle, published in 1587, enumerates sixty-five
lairds and gentleman as residing in Dumfriessire. There were also twenty “chief men
of name, not being lairds” among which are Young Archie Thomson and Sym Thomson.

A 1594 Act of the Scottish parliament for the “Punishment of theft, robbery, oppression
and sorning” cited a “great number of wicked thieves, oppressors and peace-breakers
of the surnames of ......Bells, Carlisles, Beatsons, Littles, Thomsons, Johnstons,
et al.” (remainder omitted for brevity).

The oldest known Thomson Armorial is included in the 1565 Workman’s Manuscript, [folio
55, shield #5] and is believed by some to have been copied from the Forman Armorial,
National Library, with additions from David Lyndsay and others. The arms of Thomson
of That Ilk, as described in the Workman’s Manuscript (1565-1568) were never included
in Lyon Court registrations. Be that as it may, successive Lyons have used the design
in subsequent arms granted to Thomson Petitioners listed HERE:

THE ONE THING THE SURNAME THOMSON DOES NOT HAVE IS A RECOGNIZED CHIEF!

The preliminary research indicates there are several possible candidates who held
positions as heads of the Thomson families, and deserve further investigation:

* Sym and young Archie Thomson of Dumfriesshire as listed in the Monypeny’s Chronicle.

* The 1585 Act in favor of John Maxwell has more than 40 Thomsons from 7 separate
probable families in Milhead, Carriewood, Know, Clynt, Glenbervell, Kirgil and Allebasterland.
If the first name listed from a certain village indicates the leader of that group
then John Thomson could be termed “head of the Thomson family of Millhead.”

* Roger Thomson could be considered “head” of the 6 Thomsons from Corriewood.

* John Thomson of Know, is singled out as owning a heritable interest in the land.

* William Thomson and brothers from Clynt.

* The seven Thomsons of Glendervill.

* Georgie Thomson in Kirgill.

* Archie Thomson in Allebasterland.

We have recorded thousands of Thomson births, marriages and deaths in the Marches
and Lothian regions, but basic numbers show little of the apparent Thomson tragedy.
The analysis of Thomson families in the 32 parishes of Roxburghshire provides a representative
sample of the Thomson family in the Borders:

* In the first half of the 17th century there were only 58 births/christenings of
which 43 were in the Kelso parish.

* The second half of the 17th century shows the number of births had increased to
132: Kelso - 34, Stitchel and Hume - 31, Jedburgh - 24, Harwick - 15, the remainder
in 13 parishes.

* Overall during the 200 years there were 1570 Thomson births/christenings and 644
marriages.

* It is the early marriages in the border regions that portray the desperate situation
of the people of the Borders. In all of Roxburghshire, there were only 8 Thomson
marriages between 1600 and 1633. All of which were in the Kelso Parish. Seven (7)
of these marriages were Thomson women into other surnames. Apparently all the Thomson
men of marriageable age were either dead or fugitives. In this same 33 years, Kelso
was the only parish out of the 32 in Roxburghshire that recorded any Thomson births
or Christenings. The 16 Thomson parents had only 39 children. Parish data provided
by Scottish archivists Mary Langton and Mary Thomson in Galashiels.

In summation: The early 16th century Thomsons of Scotland were primarily concentrated
in Lothian (Edinburgh), the Kelso area of the East Marche and the Liddesdale/ Debatable
land of the West Marche. The 1587 Roll of the Clans included the Thomsons of the
West Marche, i.e. Dumfrieshire. They are listed with Scotts of Ewesdale, Batesons,
Littles, Glendinings, Irvings, Bells, Carruthers, Grahams, Johnstones, Jardines,
Mofats and Latimers. It is clear that these neighboring families were never “can”in
the modern accepted sense of highland Clans. They were, however significant families
with “chiefs, chieftains and captains” and some became recognized by Lyon as modern
clans: Little, Irvine, Bell, Graham, Johnston, Jardine, Moffat, Elliot, Armstrong,
and Maxwell to name a few.

UPDATE Apr 2010: Since we originally posted the information on these pages, we have
had a number of our members do DNA testing and we have discovered that of the 10
or so with over 37 markers, 6 can prove they are genetically linked! They come from
various parts of the US, had no knowledge of any ancestral connections, but it’s
there in black and white now. AND......the ancestors they go back to (with a -1 or
-2 marker) are from the Dumfriesshire/West Marche region of the Scottish border.

Why is this important??? Because it proves that today’s descendants are MORE than
just “Patronymic surnames.”We are descended from related males in Scotland, in the
border region. WE ARE FAMILY in fact....not just in name!

Thomsons were a Riding Clan and made their own way.........and
we’re continuing in their footsteps as we restore their memory and say once again
to those who stand in our way - DENY US NOT!